UN Aid Chief Calls for 12-Month Extension of Syria Aid Resolution
The United Nations humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, has called on the Security Council to extend by 12 months the resolution that allows for the delivery of cross-border aid to northwest Syria.
The current resolution, which expires on January 10, allows for the delivery of aid through the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border. It is the only way that aid can reach millions of people in northwest Syria, who are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
In a tweet on Friday, Griffiths said that the people of Syria are suffering more than we can truly appreciate. He urged Council members to extend the resolution by 12 months, saying that it is "the only way to guarantee the delivery of life-saving aid to millions of people in need."
The people of Syria are suffering more than we can truly appreciate.
— Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) June 29, 2023
The #UNSC resolution allowing us to deliver aid to the northwest through the Turkish border is set to expire in 11 days.
I urged Council members to extend it by 12 months. Here's why. pic.twitter.com/SauBvAiBGG
The Security Council is scheduled to vote on the resolution on Friday. It is unclear whether Russia, which has vetoed previous resolutions on cross-border aid to Syria, will support the extension.
If the resolution is not extended, it would be a major blow to the humanitarian aid effort in Syria. It would also be a sign that the international community is abandoning the people of Syria, who have been caught in a brutal civil war for more than a decade.
